First, I'd like to say how happy I am not to be using "S.H.O." dot com today, as I'm sick of being one of the only people that doesn't ask "so what exhaust should I get"..... So yeah, this is my first post here! woohoo!

mkay. During spring break, I installed my own turbo kit that I've been saving for and developing for 8 months. Suddenly one warm, but not hot day, my car decides to overheat. Instinctively, I switch the heat on, but no hot air......."Thermostat", I think to myself, and immediately have the coolant flushed and new thermostat intalled upon returning to Austin.

On my way home from getting that replaced, steam comes pouring out of my dash. "Damn it, heater core.....wtf?!", I think...

$470 and 3 days later, I'm informed that my dash and car are *finally* back together, but that it still overheats. They checked the upper/lower hoses and said that the water pump "looks ok"......radiator fans come on when hot, but only sometimes, as if the sensor is being flaky, or more likely that it's not always seeing hot enough water (from the poor flow at idle) like the gauge temp sensor could be (if are they different sensors in different locations?).....

My heat still doesn't work at all when idling, and on the rare ocassion that it starts to overheat, revving the engine just a little, to like 2k, brings the temp back down.

My diagnosis is a blockage somewhere in the cooling system, which is preventing sufficient water flow to provide enough heat transfer on warmer days, but where in the heck could this be coming from?

The system has been flushed, upper and lower radiator hoses are fine/new, new thermostat and heater core, and the radiator was replaced about 2 years ago. Fans work fine when voltage is directly applied to them, water level does not decrease after driving (so no blown head gasket or cracked head)......HELP!!!


Thanks in advanced, and I hope to return the advice soon!

Nick

 

it could be the water pump. It's the only thing that is effected by RPM. Thus, when you rev the engine the pump pushes more water and the engine cools down. Also, it seems to be the only thing left to replace. Only other thing i can think of is if a hose is collapsing and the added pressure when it revs opens it back up. But that's a long shot.

 

Those are both good thoughts........thanks!

Guess I should specify a little more, too.

'96 GS-R with 75k miles.

No reason a heater core should go out so soon, and I wouldn't be as concerned with the overheating, but I'm probably going to have to drive from here to San Diego for a family wedding come the middle of August. Yeah, that puts me through the freakin' desert during the hottest part of the year, and I really can't afford a rental!

Any more idears?!

Nick

 

TTT, any other ideas people? I was following another post:

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=226015&page=2

and this guy says he might need a new head gasket. Wouldn't that suck?! Can anyone show/describe EXACTLY where this bleeder valve assembly is at that's on top of the thermostat assembly?

Thanks again,
Nick

 

if it turns out to be the heater core, I can sell you a used one 60 obo. I'm in San Diego.

Good luck.